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Andros Townsend reveals why Igor Tudor’s system ‘could work in the way that Tottenham play’

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 8:19 PM ET

Igor Tudor will be raring to make an immediate impact at Tottenham.

Igor Tudor has been brought in to steady the ship for Tottenham Hotspur after the dismissal of Thomas Frank last week. With Spurs now firmly in the relegation mix, the big Croat has been brought in until the end of the season to shake things up and try to steer the club up the table.

The 47-year-old certainly has the experience of spurring struggling sides mid-season, as evidenced by his work at Udinese and Juventus, and Tottenham fans will hope he hits the ground running in his first managerial assignment in England.

Several fans and pundits alike have been critical of the club’s decision to hand Igor Tudor the interim role, despite knowing his lack of experience of managing in the Premier League. TalkSPORT pundit Ally McCoist thinks Tudor could be in for a rude awakening at White Hart Lane following the tough first few fixtures, whereas former boss Tim Sherwood has laid down the outrageous expectations he must fulfil to become the permanent head coach at the club.

Andros Townsend thinks Igor Tudor’s system could suit the Tottenham squad

Tudor has started taking training sessions from Monday, and in his first official interview with the club, he made it clear that his style of play will be offensive, whilst having clear organisation in defence. He means business at Spurs, hoping to make a mark with his tactical flexibility and man-management skills.

Andros Townsend has now chipped in with his thoughts on Tudor’s appointment. The former Spurs winger thinks the Croat’s system could get the best out of the current squad, citing how he galvanised the Juventus squad last season after replacing Thiago Motta in March.

“They (Juventus) did like to go into a five at the back under Tudor, which is something Spurs fans don’t want to hear. But when they did win the ball, they were so aggressive and vertical,” Andros Townsend said on BBC 5 Live Sport.

“I look at the players Spurs have. Can Micky Van de Ven play that left centre-half position, with his pace? Can he get up and down?

Is Igor Tudor a HUGE gamble for Spurs?

@andros_townsend says fans shouldn’t panic just yet#BBCFootball #THFC pic.twitter.com/b3YW1JjmPo
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) February 17, 2026

“Maybe on the right (centre-back), it might be Djed Spence. Two number 10s, Xavi Simons did it very well at Leipzig, so he can play in that left half-space. (Randal) Kolo Muani did it at Juventus under this manager in the right half-space.

“You’ve got the big man (Dominic) Solanke up front, so it’s like for like. It could work in the way that Spurs play.”

A big performance needed vs. Arsenal

We already know that Tudor prefers to set up in a three-at-the-back system, 3-4-2-1 to be precise, which focuses on having a solid and compact defensive structure, with wing-backs bombing up and down the flanks. He likes his defence to play a high line and on the front foot, squeeze the spaces in midfield and wants his forwards to win the ball in the opposition’s half.

The no-nonsense Croatian employed this system and helped Juventus qualify for the Champions League last season, although he was sacked in October 2025 for a miserable run of eight games without a win. Tottenham’s squad is depleted by injuries, yet his job will be to get a tune out of the available players by using his preferred 3-4-2-1 system.

Can Tudor lift the spirit of the boys and get them firing in the North London derby vs. Arsenal? Only time will tell.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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